Soft-seated valve.



T. DAVIS.

SOFT SEATED VALVE. wAPPLI CATl0N FILES 050.3.1911.

1,81 3%, Patented 0%.15, 1918.

FIG: 1

v v ance Q4307,

THEBON DAVIS, 01? NEW YORK, N. Y.

SOFT-SEATED VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15,1918.

Application filed December 3, 1917. Serial No. 205,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tmorr DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Soft-Seated Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in soft-seated valves, that is the type of valve in which the valve portion which seats itself upon the part to be closed is soft and yielding and usually is in the form of a rubber ball. The common application of this type of valve is for use in flush tanks of waterclosets and the like. As usually made, this type of valve is of a general ball shape, is made hollow, and the lower or valve portion is generally softer than the upper portion which'connects with the operating apparatus. As usually constructed the upper and lower parts are permanently united, and when t e lower part gives out, and this is usually the first part to deteriorate or break, the whole structure has to be thrown away and a new one substituted. Another difficultyin the'general form of valve of this type is that its process of manufacture is rather slow and ex ensive because it is difficult to make a bal structure with the upper or outer part essentially rigid'and with the lower part sufliciently yielding to form a soft seat. The object of my invention is to overcome these dificulties and especially to make a better and cheaper structure. A further and important object of my invention is to produce a valve of this type in which the seat portion. is detachable from the upper part so that when the seat portion becomes unfit for use for any reason, a new seat portion can be substituted. Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiicient means by which the seat portion can be readily attached to the other part of the valve so as to make a tight joint, a water seal, and a durable structure.

With these ends in view and with the general object of making a better, simpler and more economical valve, my invention consists of a valve of the character described, the construction of which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specifica tion, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the valve embodymg my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the valve and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showmg a slight modification.

In the drawing I have shown a flush tank valve having the general appearance and the:

head 13 of the soft rubber seat portion or body portion 14 of the valve. This body portion 14 has also preferably a bead 15 in the outer side near the top against which the lower edge of the flange 12 abuts, and so when thebody portion 14 is inserted in the shell 10, the top of the bead 13 will abut with the seat 11 and the edge of the flange 12 will abut with the head 15.

Movable up and down or in and out within the shell 10 is a clamping piece 16 which is preferably of the same general shape as the shell 10, and this nearits outer-periphery is formed into a seat portion 17 which approximately fits the inner edge of the bead 13, and a terminal flange 18 which fits against the inner part of the body 14 just below the bead 13,

At its top the member 16 is preferably formed into a keeper 19 which receives a nut 20 and holds the nut so that the latter will not turn. The nut can be fastened'permanently in its seat in any convenient way. The nut is intended to receive the threaded lower end of the operating rod 21 which latter can be of any usual or preferred typp, and'is shown as the conventional type y which the valve is raised from its seat. This rod also extends through an external nut 23, outside the shell 10, and a gasket 22 is the snell.

Assuming that the rod 21 is turned to loosen the parts, that is to permit the member 16 to be moved away from the shell 10,

preferably placed between the nut 23 and of the shell while the turning of the rod in the nut 20 draws the member 16 toward the member 10,- thus compressing the bead portion 13,0f the valve body 14 tightly between the seat portion 17 of the member 16 and the parts 11 and 12 of the shell 10. In this -way a water-tight and durable connection is made between the parts 10 and 14, and if at any time it is desired to renew the part 14,

the member 16 can be loosened, the said part 14 removed, and a new member substituted. Thus it will beseen that the valve can be provided with a new seat portion without the necessity of providing a whole new structure. n

' In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification in which a screw 24 is made to enter the top ofthe member 10 being journaled in the orifice and having a cylindrical portion 25 which fits the orifice in the shell 10, and a recessed portion 26 which enters the nut 20.. By turnlng this screw 24 to the right or left as the case may be, the member 16 may be tightened or loosened as already described. When this form of structure is used the rod 21 is screwed into the top of the screw 24. I have shown a.- simple and preferred means of detachably securing the part 14 to the shell 10, but I wish it distinctly understood that my invention is not limited to any such structure, as it will be obvious that many devices might be used for making a watertight and detachable connection between the said parts 10 and 14, and I believe that I am the first to produce a valve having these characteristics. I also call attention to the fact that while I have shown a valve of the general type for use as a ball valve for flush tanks, it 1s apparent that the structure; can be used for many other valve purposes without affecting the invention.

I claim 1. A valve of'the kind known as hollow ball valves, having a relatively permanent I outer portion, a soft inner or seat portion, a

water-tight joint connecting the two portions, an internal clamping device to secure said joint, and means exterior of the valve to operate said clamping device.

2. A valve of the character described coml soft prising a hollow shell, a hollow relatively 'means' for fastening the meeting parts together to form a water-tight joint. 3. A valve of the kind. described prising a hollow relatively rigid shell havseat portion having its outer edge mg a seat portion near'its edge, a hollow relatively soft valve portion having its edge shaped to fit the seat portion of the shell, and a clamping member within the shell adapted to fasten the meeting parts of the shell and valve member together.

4. A valve of the kind described comprising a shell having a seat near its edge, a hollow relatively soft. valve member having its edge arranged to fit the-seat of the shell,'a clamping member withinthe shell adapted to engage the inner part of i the valve member and press it a ainst its seat in the shell, and means, extending through-the middle portion of the shell for operating the clamping member.

5. A valve of the kind described comprising a shell having a seat near its edge,- 1

a relatively soft hollow valve :member shaped to. fit said seat, a clamping memb r movable in and out within the shell an adapted to force the edge portion of the valve member into the seat portionof the shell, and a screw mechanism extending through the shell and operatively connected with the clamping member to move itin and outwith reference to the shell. I 6. A valve of the-kind described comprising a hollow relatively rigid shell having a seat portionnear its edge, .a hollow relatively soft valve portion having its edge shaped to fit the seat ortion of the shell, an I internal "clamp for and means entering the top portion of the.

' valve for operating the aforesaid clamp.

7.- A valve of the kind described comastening' the meeting 3 portions of the two aforesaid parts together,

shaped to fit the seat portion of the she and an internally acting but externally operated clamping device to fasten together the meeting parts of the shelljand valve members.

THERON DAVIS. Witnesses: j I

WARREN B. HUTCHINSON M. G. ODoNNnLL. f 

